


brighter than sunlight

by freethedoncastertwo



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Marriage Proposal, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21995656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freethedoncastertwo/pseuds/freethedoncastertwo
Summary: Kyo plans a special romantic holiday with Tohru. So, naturally, Momiji tags along.
Relationships: Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou, featuring Tohru's and Momiji's friendship
Comments: 3
Kudos: 45





	brighter than sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my Furuba Secret Santa gift for anhappyfangirl on tumblr! I hope you like it!

It’s an easy, early summer morning. It’s not the kind of morning where one is required to do anything in particular, which makes it Kyo’s favourite kind of morning. Eyes still closed, he stretches his legs and rolls over in bed. His arm brushes against Tohru’s hair. He smiles and runs his fingers through it. Her hair is always so soft. Today it’s a little wavier than usual – maybe she braided it last night? He doesn’t remember her doing that. Curiosity rousing him into wakefulness, he opens his eyes.

He’s greeted by a head of blond curls and an unheavenly grin. “Morning, Kyo!”

“Argh!” Kyo jumps backwards and nearly falls off the bed. It’s Momiji. Momiji’s here. Momiji is _here_ , on his and Tohru’s romantic summer getaway. The universe doesn’t make sense.

Tohru sits up on the other side of Momiji. “Oh, Kyo, you’re awake. Good morning!”

Kyo points one shaking finger at Momiji. “Why… he…”

Tohru smiles. “Oh, are you wondering about Momiji? He had nightmares last night, so I let him sleep with us.”

Kyo has been awake for one minute and he’s already exhausted. “Why is he _here_?” At Tohru’s confused look, he adds, “In the _cabin_.”

Tohru giggles. “I invited him, of course!”

She invited Momiji to their romantic getaway. The one Kyo organised, the one he wanted to be special, the one he bought a ring for. Kyo takes a deep breath. Okay. This is okay. This could be fine. Momiji probably won’t stay for long. They’ve got two weeks in this cabin. With Momiji’s busy orchestra life, there’s no way he’ll hang around for the full two weeks.

Momiji pats Kyo on the back. “Poor Kyo. I don’t think he’s fully awake yet. Maybe he’s becoming like Yuki.”

Oh, that’s _it._ Kyo can feel a mood coming on. He grabs his shoes and his water bottle and heads for the door. “I’m going for a run,” he growls.

Momiji chirps, “Can we join –”

Kyo whirls around. “No!”

Kyo storms out. He hurries past Momiji’s luggage bag, nestled between the cabin’s upright piano and the living room sofa. He jogs out the front door, through the garden and onto the street. Then he breaks into a run.

-

Kyo sighs, letting the tension seep out of his shoulders. There’s nothing like running. Here, when it’s just him and the pavement, he can let everything go. When his feet hit the cement it’s like his beating out his frustration against it. The repetitive sound lulls him into a sense of safety.

He starts to listen to the sounds of the surrounding neighbourhood. The cabin they’re staying in is in on top of a hill overlooking a small coastal town, and the sea just beyond it. Birds cry and waves crash. Kyo jogs down the hill.

He’s nearly at the bottom when he hears shrieks from behind him.

“Waaah!”

“Kyo, look out!”

Kyo stops and turns around. Tohru is there, wearing bubblegum pink roller skates. Her arms are flailing and her face is stretched in a horrified ‘O’ shape. “Aaah!” she shrieks again.

“Tohru!” Momiji calls from behind her. “Break!” he’s wearing roller skates with obnoxious bunnies on them. He’s clearly more in control of his, though.

“I don’t know how!”

There’s no time. Kyo holds out his arms to catch Tohru. She’s gaining speed. The hill is steep. Tohru utters one last shriek and crashes at full speed into Kyo. Kyo falls back. Pain explodes in the back of his head. Tohru’s voice swims above him, then everything goes dark.

-

“Kyo? Kyo, can you hear us?”

“We’ve _killed him_.”

“Nah. He’s still frowning. Dead people don’t frown.”

“He would if I _killed him_.” Tohru sniffles. “I’m the worst girlfriend _ever_.” 

“He’s fine, he’s just being dramatic.” Obnoxious hands pat his face. “Kyo, wake up.”

“His elbow is bleeding.”

“Oh? I’ve got a bandaid.” Kyo hears a ruffling noise. “I’d better clean it first.” Some kind of horrible, burning liquid pours over Kyo’s elbow. Kyo hisses. “See, he’s alive.”

“You keep a first aid kit in your bag?”

“Yup! Not all the time. Today I just had a feeling it would come in handy.”

“Momiji, you’re so cool.”

“Thanks! Do you think Kyo would want the bandaid with the bunny singing songs or the one with the mice wearing bonnets?”

“Um…”

“Bunny,” Kyo grits out. An unholy image of Yuki wearing a bonnet flashes through his mind. Kyo shudders. “Please.”

“Kyo!” Tohru gasps. “You’re awake!”

“Ugh.” Kyo slowly gets to his feet.

“Here, lean on us.” Tohru hurries to get up, but Momiji stops her.

“Uh, Tohru, maybe we should take off our roller skates first.”

“Good idea.” Tohru hurriedly takes off her roller skates and stands up in her socks. She wraps her arm around Kyo. “Here, I’ve got you.”

Momiji follows suit. “I’ve got you, too.”

“Momiji, let’s take him back to the cabin to rest.”

Tohru and Momiji chatter away as they help Kyo back to the cabin. They set him down on the sofa. Blessedly cool hands touch his face and neck. “Just rest, Kyo,” Tohru soothes. Good plan. The aching in his head starts to fade and Kyo drifts off to sleep.

-

Bright, midday sun eventually wakes him. Kyo sits up. A fleece blanket is draped over him. He tosses it aside and stands up. Gingerly, gingerly, he touches the back of his head. His skull seems intact. That’s good. He touches his face. It doesn’t feel disfigured. That’s good, too.

He needs to ask Momiji to leave. It’s awkward, but it must be done. He walks out into the garden, expecting to see Momiji and Tohru there. He groans.

Tohru _is_ there, but so are eight complete strangers. Two of the strangers are braiding Tohru’s hair. The rest of them are dancing in a circle. Kyo marches over. One of the strangers grabs him and pulls him into the circle. The strangers join hands with him and swing him around. Then they shove him into the centre of the circle. They dance in a ring around him, for reasons he knows not.

“Tohru!” Kyo exclaims. “Who are these people?”

“Momiji met them at the grocery store. Aren’t they so nice?”

Kyo’s going to have a conniption. “Sure, they’re lovely. Charming! But _who are they?!_ ”

“They’re part of some kind of… hmm, what did Momiji call it… a cult! It’s so interesting.”

 _Nope._ No way. Not happening. Kyo roars. He pushes his way out of the dance circle. He looks around and sees a plastic bucket sitting by the wall. He grabs it and starts waving it around. “Get out of here!” he hollers. He chases the dancers, waving the bucket and shouting. They yelp. He snarls. They run. He turns to the two who are still touching Tohru’s hair. He roars again and swings the bucket at them. They flee, out of the garden and down the street, not stopping until they’re out of sight.

Momiji walks out of the cabin holding a smoothie. He takes a sip. “What happened?”

Tohru chuckles nervously. “Kyo’s a little upset.”

Kyo points at Momiji. “ _You._ You invited cult people to the cabin. You let cult people braid Tohru’s hair.”

Momji rolls his eyes. “Kyo, _we_ were cult people. Tohru can handle herself.”

“We weren’t –” Kyo stops himself. Huh. Are the Sohmas a cult? He’ll have to think about that.

“A-anyway… when are you leaving? You weren’t supposed to be here.”

Tohru gasps. “Kyo! That’s rude.”

Momiji gives Tohru a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, it’s fine.” He pauses. “Oh, Tohru, I think I might have left something burning on the stove. Could you check it out for me?”

Tohru bounces to her feet. “Sure!” she hurries into the kitchen.

Momiji goes to sit on the doorstep. He pats the spot next to him. “Kyo, let’s chat?”

Kyo grumbles. He trudges to the doorstep and sits down beside Momiji. “Fine.” He hesitates. “sorry if I was rude.”

Momiji shrugs. “That’s fine. Sorry for interrupting your romantic getaway with Tohru.”

Kyo gapes.

Momiji continues. “She invited me for just two days. I’m going home tomorrow morning. It’s a little silly, but she asked me to check that she’s ‘doing okay,’ in her words, because she really wants this holiday to be special. I told her that I’m sure she’s doing great, but, you know. It’s hard to reassure her sometimes.”

Kyo blinks. “She told you she wants this holiday to be special?”

Momiji wriggles his eyebrows. “Yep. She figured out that you probably have something planned.”

Kyo thinks of the ring tucked away safely in his bag. “How did she figure that out?”

Momiji shrugs. “Dunno. She has her ways.”

Kyo sighs. “God.” He lies back on the veranda. “I’m so predictable.”

Momiji nudges him. “That’s not such a bad thing.”

Kyo nudges him back. “Shut up.”

“Kyo… not everyone needs friends in their life. But Tohru definitely does.”

“I know that.”

“Okay. Good. And I think you do as well.” He offers Kyo a tentative smile.

Kyo huffs. Momiji’s just so _obnoxious_ , sitting here in his lacy outfit, with his lilting European accent, insinuating that he’s Kyo’s _friend_. Of course they’re ‘friends’, but that’s only because Momiji never personally ostracised him for being the Cat, which is because he was too young to participate in that crap, and too distant, and too understanding, and too similar. Kyo frowns at that thought. Are they similar? In their love for Tohru, sure. In their family histories, sort of. In their approach to life, not at all, but Kyo can admit to himself that he does envy Momiji’s easy-going nature and endless supply of wisdom.

Kyo groans. “I know that, too.”

Momiji nods. His eyes are serious now, but no less kind. “As a friend, I want to tell you that you don’t need to worry. Tohru loves you. She’s going to say yes.”

Momiji ruffles Kyo’s hair. He gets up and walks inside, leaving Kyo alone with his thoughts.

-

When Kyo goes inside, Momiji is playing the piano. Kyo didn’t even know that Momiji could play the piano, but it makes sense – he is, after all, one of those aggravating musical types that can play anything he decides to play. Kyo huffs and settles down on the sofa.

Tohru has her hands pressed together, beaming as she watches Momiji with something like awe. Momiji holds out a hand to her. “Do you want to play, Tohru?”

Tohru’s eyes go wide. “Oh, no, I couldn’t!” she says, getting flustered as she waves her hands to decline the offer. “I’ve never learned any music.”

Kyo raises his eyebrow. She’s never learned _any_ music? Then a flicker of guilt passes through him. Of course she hasn’t. There’s no way her mother could have afforded that.

Momiji doesn’t act surprised, as if he already suspected this. “Don’t worry, the basics are easy. I’ll show you.”

Blushing furiously, Tohru sits beside Momiji on this piano seat. Strangely enough, the unease that Kyo has been feeling all day has quieted down. Kyo is more interested in making sure Tohru enjoys herself, and seeing if Momiji teaches her well.

“Don’t you dare make her feel bad,” Kyo warns.

Tohru blushes again. Momiji laughs. “Kyo, you’re so sweet.”

Tohru touches a piano key and presses down on it lightly. “Like this?”

Momiji nods. “Exactly. Now, use these three fingers, and press these three keys like this.”

Tohru copies him slowly but accurately. “That’s pretty!” she exclaims at the sound.

“That’s the C major chord.”

“I just played a chord?”

“Yup! Now I’m going to teach you two other chords.” He teaches her F major and G major. She copies both, but her finger slips during the G chord and she plays something dissonant instead.

“Oh! Sorry!” Tohru covers her hands with her face.

“That’s fine,” Momiji soothes. “Mistakes are essential. Isn’t that right, Kyo?”

“Oh. Yeah. They’re essential.”

“Yup. Now I think you’re ready for another chord. The three that I’ve taught you so far are major chords, but music would get boring if we only used major chords. So now let’s play an A minor chord.” Momiji wriggles his fingers and plays A minor.

Tohru wrinkles her nose. “Hmm. I don’t really like that one.”

Momiji laughs. “No, it’s not very you, is it? It’s kind of…”

“Sad and spooky,” Tohru says.

“Yup.”

“Let’s learn another major chord!”

“Okay. This is D major. It’s a little harder because your finger has to move to the F sharp key – oh, never mind, you’ve got it.”

Tohru plays D major. Then she laughs and plays D major again. “I like this one.”

“Yeah. It’s nice.”

Tohru turns to Kyo. “Kyo! I’m learning piano!”

“Great job, babe. Soon you’ll be playing Chopin.”

Dusk is falling outside. Kyo’s attention begins to wander. Tohru’s attention doesn’t falter, and before long she’s playing a little tune. With each small success, she cheers and casts a delighted look in Kyo’s direction. He gives her a thumbs up. _‘God,’_ he thinks, _‘I’m going to marry this woman.’_ He drifts of to sleep like that, stretched out on the sofa, lulled by the sound of Tohru’s music and the knowledge that he’s in the company of friends.

-

When Kyo wakes the next morning, Momiji is already gone. There’s a post-it note on the fridge, with the words _‘Good Luck!’_ and a stupidly cute rabbit face drawn beside them. Kyo opens the fridge and stares at the bottle of milk. It seems to stare back at him expectantly. Suddenly he just can’t wait anymore. He just _can’t._ He was going to pace himself. He was going to carefully craft this holiday, waiting for the perfect moment before he popped the question. But that’s pointless, he sees now – every moment is perfect with Tohru, every moment has been perfect ever since he met her. And he can’t bear to spend another minute not being engaged to her.

He dashes to his bag and digs around until he finds it – the little velvet box with the ring sitting patiently inside. His hands close around it. He laughs. Tohru sits up, yawning and rubbing her eyes. “Kyo? What’s going on?”

Kyo bounces onto the bed. He knows he’s grinning like a madman, but he doesn’t care. Tohru sees the expression on his face and smiles widely in return. She pats her hair down and tucks it behind her ears. She knows.

Kyo’s hands shake as he holds the box out to her. Tohru’s own hands shake as she pats his face.

“Shit,” Kyo laughs. “I’m supposed to be kneeling.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, no, I want to do it properly.” He scrambles off the bed, banging his knee in the process. “Ow, fuck.”

She laughs. “Calm down!”

He kneels on the floor and faces her as she arranges herself in a graceful position on the bed. He’s crying a little, but he can’t stop laughing. She can’t stop laughing either. “Why are we laughing?!” she exclaims. She leans over and kisses the top of his head.

“I’m trying to concentrate! Here –” Kyo holds the little velvet box up in front of her. “Tohru,” he begins, “Clever, funny, beautiful, amazing Tohru. Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” she says. It’s more of a yell, really, some bright, chirping, loud squeal of a noise, like she can’t contain the happiness for a moment longer. She holds out her hand and Kyo slides the ring onto her finger. It fits perfectly, with the soft blue of the stone glistening against her skin. Tohru pulls Kyo up onto the bed and kisses him. She practically mashes her face against his. It’s definitely not their most attractive kiss, but it must be their most excited one. He’s glad that she’s happy. He wants to spend the rest of his life making her happy, as happy as he feels right now. He’s going to marry his best friend in a world that’s not so unfriendly after all, a world that might even be kind. And the kindest person of all is here, right here beside him, looking forward to the day when they’ll be married.


End file.
